Sanni, SA; Zainab, AN. 2011. Evaluating the influence of a medical journal using Google Scholar. LEARNED PUBLISHING 24 (2): 145-154

[Eugene Garfield]

Sanni, SA; Zainab, AN. 2011. Evaluating the influence of a medical journal using 
Google Scholar. LEARNED PUBLISHING 24 (2): 145-154.

Author Full Name(s): Sanni, S. A.; Zainab, A. N.
Language: English
Document Type: Article

KeyWords Plus: BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS; CITATION ANALYSIS; IMPACT 
FACTOR; INTERNATIONALIZATION; INFORMATION; SCIENCE; SCOPUS; WEB

Abstract: This study shows how a journal's influence can be calculated by 
using citations obtained from Google Scholar and other methods even though 
the journal is not covered by any citation databases. Influence is measured in 
terms of foreign contributions, 'equivalent' immediacy scores of recent articles, 
and the calculation of citations and 'equivalent' impact factor. A total of 580 
articles published in the Medical Journal of Malaysia (KM) between 2004 and 
2008 served as the sample. Very few foreign authors contributed to MJM 
(12.5%), implying its low regional acceptance as a channel for research 
communication. Immediacy scores for each year indicate citations were 
received by recently published articles. A total of 1,164 citations were received 
by 446 of the 580 articles and the main citing sources were journals (1,083) 
with reasonable is index and impact factor. Yearly impact scores ranged 
between 0.367 and 0.616. Higher impact factor scores were obtained by older 
articles. (C) S.A. Sanni and A.N. Zainab 2011

Addresses: [Zainab, A. N.] Univ Malaya, Digital Lib Res Grp, Fac Comp Sci & 
Informat Technol, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
Reprint Address: Sanni, SA, 54 Lekan Salami Complex, Ibadan, Nigeria.

E-mail Address: sanni_shams at yahoo.com; zainab at um.edu.my
ISSN: 0953-1513
DOI: 10.1087/20110210
URL: 
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/alpsp/lp/2011/00000024/00000002/ar
t00010